Moving pictures

Many of us spend so much time at our computers that it only makes sense to have a desktop reminder program; they can let us know when it's time for a meeting, prompt us to make an important phone call, or keep track of anything else that might slip our minds. There are plenty of programs available that can perform this task, and AniReminder is one that takes a lighter approach than most. In addition to the typical alert features, the program lets you add animated graphics to your reminders. It's a little goofy, but it's a fun twist on what's usually a pretty utilitarian type of software.

The program's interface isn't the most elegant thing we've ever seen, but it's pretty easy to figure out. There are plenty of options for customizing how your reminders function; you can have them appear as desktop stickers, system tray alerts, or audio alerts. One-time reminders can be scheduled for a particular time, and repeating ones can be scheduled in intervals ranging from minutes to years. The appearance of reminders can be customized with settings for fonts, text alignment, color, and more. The thing that sets AniReminder apart from other such programs is the ability to include images, both still and animated. The program comes with eight demo images, and they are admittedly pretty cheesy: there's a dancing alien, a galloping moose, a sparkly cat, and so on. But you can easily add your own images to the directory where the images are stored. The program's built-in Help file isn't particularly well-written or thorough, but for the most part the program is easy enough to figure out without additional guidance. The biggest limitation to AniReminder is the fact that in the free version you can only set three reminders at a time. This could be a serious drawback for many users, and aside from the animated images, there are plenty of similar alternatives that are totally free.